Toothbrush and cover therefor



Dec. 25, 1956 J. REED TooTHBRusH AND covER THEREFOR Filed April 8, 1955 l FVG. L.

JNVENTOR. @E E D,

United Sti This invention relates to a tooth brush and an associated cover, said tooth brush and cover bein-g adapted to interiit in such a relationship as to protectively enclose the bristles of the tooth brush.

While covers fortooth brushes are not new per se, an important object of the present invention is to provide a combination of a toothbrush and cover which will be so designed as to insure that the bristles will be completely sealed within an enclosure, in such a manner as to keep the bristles in a sanitary condition. Heretofore, it has not been customary to provide covers for tooth brushes or when said covers are provided, they are usually not particularly adapted to facilitate the retention of the bristles in a sanitary condition.

Oftentimes, the bristles are incontact with the cover, and this in itself is an unsanitary feature resulting, in time, in the inner surface of the cover becoming coated with dried tooth paste, etc. Still further, when the bristles are left fully uncovered, it is quite possible for them to pick up dust, dirt, bacteria, and the like. Then again, when for example a tooth brush is being pack-ed in a traveling case, it is often necessary that the tooth brush be wrapped in disposable paper tissues or the like, for the purpose of keeping the bristles clean, and this in itself is unsatisfactory.

The main object of the invention, in view of the above, is to provide an improved cover for a tooth brush which, when used in association with a brush particularly formed to receive the cover, is adapted to be applied to and removed from the tooth brush with maximum facility and with minimum loss of time, the cover at the same time being adapted to cooperate with the tooth brush in providing a wholly sealed enclosure for the bristles.

Another object of importance is to provide a cover of the type stated which will be formed with a top wall, side walls, and an outer end wall, the tooth brush head itself providing an inner end wall for the bristle enclosing chamber, the tooth brush further providing the bottom for said chamber.

Another object is to provide, on the tooth brush head and cover, interengaging means providing a guide for the cover when the same is being applied to or removed from the tooth brush, said means of the cover and tooth brush cooperating to hold the same `against relative movement in the applied position of the cover, said means further being adapted to sealably interengage the cover and tooth brush where adjacent surfaces of the cover and tooth brush meet to form the bristle enclosure.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claim appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a tooth brush and cover formed in accordance with the present invention, the tooth brush having a portion of its handle broken away, the cover being shown in its applied position;

Figure 2 is a top plan view;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the g tes Patent O.

. 2,774,982 vvPatented Dec. 25, 1956 ice v2 cover in which the tooth brush head remains in sidefelebation;

Figurev4 is a transverse sectional view on line 4-4 of Figure 3; and i Figure 5 is a side elevational view showing thel sideopposite that shown in Figure l, with thefcover partially removed.

The reference numeral 10 has been applied generally in the several figures of the drawing to a tooth-brush formed in accordance lwith the present invention, to which tooth brush has been applied a cover 12 also formed according to the invention. The tooth brush includes an elongated handle 14 and a head 16, joined by a connecting portion 18. The handle, head, and connecting portion are all integrally formed from'a single length of plastic material, yandas will be noted from Figure l, in accordance with the invention the connecting portion 18 is disposed at a'wide obtuse angle to the head 16, and is also at a wide obtuse angle to the-handle 14.

Embedded in the head 16 are the usual bristles 20.

Formed in the opposite side edge surfaces of head16, and extending the length of the head, are arcuate grooves 22 curved about a common radius, said grooves having outer ends opening upon the outer end surface of head 16, and having closed inner ends terminating at the juncture between the head 16 and connecting portion 18. The grooves are confined wholly between the planes of the top and bottom surfaces of the head 16.

The cover includes a single piece of material shaped to include a flat top wall 24 and an outer end wall 26 lying in a plane normal to that of the top wall. Side walls 28 are disposed in parallel planes normal to the planes both of the top wall and the outer end wall, so that the cover is thus given a rectangular shape, said cover being coextensive in length with the total length of the head 16 and connecting portion 18.

The lower longitudinal edges of the side walls 28 are formed (see Figure 4) with inturned lips 30 extending the full length of the side walls 28 and coextensive in length with the respective grooves 22. The lower longitudinal edges of the side walls 28, and hence the lips 30, are curved about the same radius as the grooves 22 and thus, when the cover is applied to the tooth brush head, the lips 30 will engage in the open outer ends of the grooves, after which the cover can be shifted to the right in Figure 5 until the inner ends of the lips 30 engage against the closed inner ends of the grooves 22.

Integral with the top wall 24, and constituting an inner' end extension thereof, is a top wall portion 32, lying in a plane obtusely related to the plane of the top wall 24, but acutely related to the plane of the connecting portion 18. The outer end edge of the portion 32 terminates in a lip 34 engaging in a shallow transverse groove 36 formed in the connecting portion 18, where said connecting portion meets or merges into the handle 14. Due to the acutely related planes of the connecting portion 18 and top wall portion 32, when the cover is slipped onto the head 16, and the lips 30 engage against the closed inner ends of grooves 22, the transverse lip 34 will engage in the shallow transverse groove 36. Meanwhile, the side walls 28 will engage against the opposite side surfaces of the connecting portion 18 and head 16, while the lower end edge of the outer end wall 26 will engage against the outer end surface of the head 16.

By reason of this arrangement, a complete :seal is provided for the bristles 20, with said bristles being protectively enclosed in a chamber defined in part by the cover and in part by the connecting portion 18 and head 16.

Still further, it will be understood that the cover can be provided with Ventilating openings such as those shown at 38 in the top wall 24.

It is also believed apparent that the side wall 28 can be of an inherently resilient material, requiring that said side walls be sprung apart to a slight extent to permit the lips 30 to enter the grooves 22. As a result, the inherent resiliency of the side walls tends to assert itself after the cover is in its fully applied position, so as to frictionally engage the cover and head against relative movement.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily conned to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the speciiic construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A tooth brush and cover comprising: a tooth brush including a handle, a head, and a connecting portion, all

formed from a single length of material, with said connecting portion being disposed at an obtuse angle to both the head and the handle; and a cover coextensive in length with the combined lengths of the connecting portion and head, said cover including a top wall of planiform formation, an end wall lying in a plane normal to that of the top wall, side walls lying in planes normal to those of both the top wall and end wall, said end wall closing the cover at one end and the other end of the cover being formed open, the top wall including an extension lying in a plane obtusely related to the plane of the top wall, said :side walls being formed with lower longitudinal edges curved longitudinally of the cover, the side walls including inwardly turned lips formed upon the edges, the opposite side surfaces of said head having grooves curved throughout their lengths to receive said lips, thus to eiect application or removal of the cover by movement thereof through an arcuate path about a center common to the lips and grooves, said extension of the top walls, when the lips are fully engaged in the grooves, abutting against the connecting portion, thus to cause the cover and the tooth brush to cooperate in dening a sealed enclosure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 637,522 McGinnis Nov. 21, 1899 805,733 Key Nov. 28, 1905 1,091,993 White et al. Mar. 31, l1914 1,451,941 Clum Apr. 17, 1923 1,735,582 Meadoi NOV. 12, 1929 2,651,070 Zimmerman Sept. 9, 1953 

